Automatic furnace regulator



April 25, 1933. R. s. ADAMS AUTOMATIC FURNACE REGULATOR Filed Dec. 23, 1930 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 25,

warren srA'rEs PATENT ()FFICE noY s. FADAMS, or SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, AssIeNon or ONE-#HALF T :rosnrn new or SAGINAW, MICHIGAN AUTOMATIC FURNACE REGULATOR Application filed December 23,1930. Serial No. 504,337.

The prime object of the inventionis to design an automatic temperature control or regulator for automatically opening and closing the draft doors and dampers of a furnace.

Another object is to provide simple, practical, and economical means which can be set so that the draft doors and dampers are automatically regulated to maintain an even temperature. 7 i

A further object is to provide a regulator which is easy to construct and assemble, which can be readily installed, and which requires little or no attention after installation.

With the above and other objects in View, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportion, and minor details of construction, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing, any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing. Fig. 1 is a front view of a conventional warm air furnaceshowing my improved reg ulator in place thereon. j Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary part sectional detail of the furnace and regulator. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front view of one of the sheaves. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the control mechanism, showing the manner of adjusting. V I 7 Referring now more particularly to the drawing in which I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the nu meral 5 indicates a conventional warm air furnace having the usual smoke pipe 6 on which the smoke pipe damper 7 is mounted. An ash pit door 8 is also provided as usual, and a draft damper 9 forms a part of the said door. i

The regulating apparatus comprises a cylindrical air drum member 10 which is mount- 50 ed. on and projects into a suitable'opening provided in the warm air jacket 11 of the furnace, the outer end being flanged as shown at 12 to tightly close said opening. A pipe 13 is connected to the head of the drum lead ing to and communicating with a control tank or container 14, said control tank being formed with inner walls 15 spaced from the outer walls to provide a chamber there between, and which is adapted to receive oil or similar liquid 17, the upper end of the inner walls being angled, and an opening 18 is provided for a purpose to be presentlydescribed.

Straps 19 are secured to the inner walls of the control tank, or'they maybe formed integral with the inner walls if desired,-a horizontally dis-posed shaft 20 being journaled therein, and is held in position by means of washers and cotter pins 21 and 21 respectively. 7 A hollow piston 22 is mounted to float in the control tank 14, the lower end projecting into the oil chamber 16, forming an air tight seal so that air from the tank 10 cannot escape, a centrally disposed clip 23 being provided on the underside of the piston head, and a chain 24 is anchored thereto, the opposite endleading downwardly through the opening 18, and is anchored to a sheave 25' which is mounted on the shaft20 in any approved manner, a. resilient member 26being provided on the head of the piston, and is adapted to form a stop to limit the upward movement thereof. i

The outer end of the control shaft is shouldered and threaded as shown at 27, and an indicator 28 is secured thereon by means of the nut 28, sheaves 29 and 30 respectively being mounted 011 the shaft directly adja cent the indicator, the sheave. 29 being provided with spaced apart openings 31, which accommodates an inwardly projecting pin member 32', which is anchoredrin the indicator, one end of a'coil spring 33 being anchored to the shaft '20, the opposite end being anchored to the sheave member 30, so that the shaft 20 may be properly tensioned to exert a downward pull on the piston. I 7

Stops 34' and 35 are mounted on the respective sheaves 29 and 30, and control chains 36 and 37 are also secured thereto, the chain 36 leading over the sheaves 38 and thence leading downwardly and being connected to the draft damper 9 as shown, the chain 37 leading over similar sheaves 39, and thence being anchored to the smoke pipe damper 7 in any approved manner, so that, when the draft damper is opened, the smoke pipe damper will be simultaneously closed and vice versa.

In practice the air tight drum 10 is inserted in the warm air jacket as above described, the pipe 13 is connected to the control tank, and as the heat from the furnace'heats the tank 10, the air contained therein will be expanded, flowing into the control tank 14B and allowing the piston 22'to move downwardly, the spring then winds the shaft 20 clockwise, rotating the sheaves 29 and 30, so that the smoke pipe damper is opened and the draft damper closed, as the temperature in the warm air jacket is lowered (due to checking the furnace) a partial vacuum is created, this suction causes the piston 22 to move upward- 1y, consequently the shaft 20 will be rotated counter-clockwise, the stops all brought into engagement, opening the draft damper 9 and closing the smoke pipe damper 7 consequently it will be obvious that an even temperature will be maintained as long as the furnace is supplied with fuel. Y

It will of course be understood that the control box can be of any desired shape, it may be positioned in one of the rooms of the house if so desired, or it may be an integral part of the tank 10, I find, however, that the arrangement as shown operates very satisfactorily.

The regulator is set by rotating the sheave 29, the spring 83' serving to tension the shaft 20 as well as forcing the sheave 29 outwardly and into engagement with the pin member 32, and when it is desired to adjust the regulator, the operator presses inwardly on the sheave 29, compressing the spring 33, this forces the sheave out of engagementwith the pin, and if a higher temperature is desired, the sheave is rotated clockwise to a predetermined point, or if a lower temperature is desired the adjustment is identically similar, except that the sheave isrotated counter-clockwise, the spring then forces the sheave outwardly, the pin 32 registering with and engaging one of the openings 31, so that the sheave is locked to the indicator.

This mechanism operates accurately and smoothly, insures an even temperature as long as the'furnace is fired, it is economical to build,requires no attention after installation, and will last for an indefinite length of time.

' WVhat I claim is 1. The combination with a furnace, of a drum projecting into the warm air jacket thereof, a control tank communicating therewith and formed with spaced apart inner and outer walls adapted to form a liquid chamber into which a liquid is introduced, a piston floating in said liquid and adapted to be raised when the furnace temperature is lowered and lowered when the furnace temperature is raised, and means connecting said piston with the furnace draft damper and smoke Walls adaptedto contain a liquid therein, andmeans mounted to float in said liquid and adapted to be raised when the furnace temperature is lowered and lowered when the furnace temperature is raised forsimulta neously opening and'closing the furnace draft damper and smoke pipe damper respectively.

3; The combination with a furnace ofa drum associated therewith, a control tank connected thereto and communicating therewith, and formed with spaced apart inner and outer walls adapted to contain a liquid therebetween, a piston mounted to float in said liquid and form a seal, said piston being raised when the furnace temperature is lowered, and'lowered when the furnace temperav ture is raised, and means for connecting the furnacedraft and smoke pipe dampers to said piston for automatically operating said dampers as the temperature changes.

4. The combination, with a furnace, of" a closed drum exposed to the heat thereof, a control tank connected to and communicating therewith, and formed with spaced apart inner and outer walls adapted to contain a liquid therebetween, a hollow piston telescoping over said inner walls and floating in the liquid to form a seal, said-piston being raised when the furnace temperature is lowered, and lowered when the furnace temperature is raised, a chain connected to said 'piston,'and means connecting said chain to the furnace draft and smoke pipe dampersfor simulta-' neously actuating said dampers as'the pis-. ton is actuated by a change of'temperature.

5; The combination with a source of. heat, of an airtight control member connected to and communicating therewith, said member being formed with spaced apart inner and outer walls forming a liquid chamber therebetween, a piston mounted to float in said member with its lower end projecting into said liquid chamber to form a seal, said piston being actuated by the vacuum or pressure in the control member above the piston, a control shaft, sheaves mounted thereon, and means connectingsaid piston to saidshaft.

6. The combination with asource of heat, of a closed'drum exposed theret0,'a control member communicating therewith, and formed with spaced apart inner and outer walls forming a liquid chamber therebetween, a piston mounted to float in said member with its lower end projecting into said liquid, a spring tensioned control shaft connected to said piston, sheaves mounted thereon, and means for connecting said sheaves to the draft and smoke pipe damper respectively, said piston being raised by the lowering of the temperature of the source of heat.

7. A temperature control comprising a tank formed with spaced apart inner and outer walls forming a liquid chamber therebetween, a piston mounted to float therein, a spring tensioned shaft connected to said piston, means connecting said shaft to the dampers of a furnace, and a closed drum mounted in said furnace and communicating with the upper end of the tank, so that the piston will be raised to open the furnace draft when the furnace temperature is lowered.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

ROY S. ADAMS. 

